Quotas: Sanctions ‘probably the only option’

Financial sanctions are “probably the only option” for getting political parties to reach quotas aimed at having them run more women in general elections, the High Court has been told.

Fiona Buckley agreed she had described as “robust” the sanctions set out in the Electoral (Political Funding) Act 2012 for parties who fail to ensure at least 30% of their general election candidates are women and 30% are men.

Parties can choose to comply but, if they do not, the act provides they will lose half of their State funding, she said. The sanction was “probably the only option” available to incentivise parties to meet the quotas.